Many of the top-ranking influencers on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms, as ranked by sheer numbers of followers, specialize in comedic sketches, observations about their daily lives, pranks, and similar content. A few of the social media stars of this sort have fairly broad licensing programs. Jake Paul, represented by Brand Central since 2017, is […]
World Cup Couture
With the finals of the FIFA World Cup coming up this Sunday, pitting France against Croatia, it seems like a good time to look at the impact of the competition on the world of high fashion, officially licensed and otherwise. Here are some of the strategies involving fashion labels, designers, sports licensors, and retailers trying […]
Album Appreciation
It has become the norm over the past decade for musicians to put forth merchandise collections tied to specific albums, tours, and songs, not just for concert tour merchandising at the venue but for sale through retail channels as well. These ventures have proliferated over the years and can take a number of forms, many […]
Produce Plus Protein
Grocery shoppers have seen a proliferation of healthy snacks that combine fruits or vegetables with protein in a single, convenient package for on-the-go eating. Licensed products are part of the mix, as these examples illustrate: B&G Foods and its master licensee for Green Giant Fresh, Growers Express, are debuting six vegetable-based meal bowls. They include […]
Love Connection
In the last couple of months, both the Immortals e-sports organization and the Manchester City football club teamed with Tinder to help their passionate fans find romance. The two become the latest of a handful of licensed properties that have entered the dating-service space over the past several years. The deals vary in scope, duration, […]
Tennis Players Ace Off-Court Fashion
Summer in the northern hemisphere is the season for many of the major global tennis tournaments, including the French and U.S. Opens and Wimbledon. It is also a key time for new product announcements involving well-known players, who have long been active in lending their names to fashion lines beyond their on-court endorsement deals. Tennis […]
Western Brands and Wanghong
Chinese social media celebrities—also known as key opinion leaders (KOLs), or wanghong—are increasingly becoming involved in product collaborations. This is especially true of a large and fast-growing group of Chinese fashion and style bloggers, who have been designing limited-edition capsule collections for Western luxury brands. A handful of recent examples: Tao Liang (Mr. Bags) teamed […]
Pet-to-Pet Brand Extension
A seldom-noticed and relatively small, but increasingly active, segment of the pet products market consists of pet-related brands extending into adjacent categories. Examples come from all corners of the industry: Food. The Dog for Dog premium pet food brand licensed G-Mason earlier this year for crate mats, training pads, and other products, as well as […]
Cashing in on Cryptocurrency
A handful of licensed properties are starting to enter the world of cryptocurrency, which consists of virtual “coins” enabled by blockchain technology. As with physical currency, consumers can utilize cryptocurrency to pay for things, or as an investment. Blockchain involves a decentralized digital ledger or database of transactions, ownership history, and/or other data associated with […]
The Post-Apocalyptic Retail Landscape
While news of retail store closures has seemingly slowed since last year’s “retail apocalypse,” there has still been a steady stream of chains reporting multiple location shutdowns in 2018. Just last week, for example, Lord & Taylor announced it would shutter 10 stores, including its Fifth Avenue flagship. In fact, the pace is not far […]